Saturday, September 8, 2012

The first thing people do when they find
out you're a doula (other than asking what the heck that is) is tell
you their birth stories. Which I love, but they very often end with,
"So then I had a c-section, and did I really need one?" Um, I dunno. I
wasn't there, and if I was, I wouldn't exactly have the authority to
say.

The second thing people do is ask about some old wives'
tales surrounding birth. The favorite of mine is always, "Is it true
that having sex can bring on labor?" And let me tell you, the answer is
yes.
But why?

Oxytocin,
the so-called "love hormone," is at least partly responsible for three
distinct physiological events in a woman's reproductive life: orgasm,
labor, and breastfeeding. As a sex-positive doula and lactation consultant , you might say that oxytocin is my homegirl.

The female
orgasm was once thought of as relatively inconsequential to the
reproductive process. In fact, some fertility specialists have even
suggested that orgasm "dilutes" a woman's chance of becoming pregnant.
Au contraire, says a bulk of new-ish research
that essentially reaffirms what lay-health workers have been saying for
years: orgasm increases your chances of conception. See, when a woman
orgasms, her body releases even more vaginal secretion than she does
when simply "aroused," helping to lubricate the sperm's path to the
egg. Additionally, the oxytocin released via orgasm contracts the
uterus, lowering the cervix (the "neck" of the uterus) and making the
uterus more accepting of a fertilized egg (ever wonder what that tight
feeling in your lower abdomen was?).

So oxytocin contracts the
uterus. Hence, it may help tip your body into labor. But the
wonder-hormone's job isn't over when the placenta is delivered.
Oxytocin is also responsible for the milk "letting down" during
breastfeeding. See, when a woman first lays eyes on her baby, she's
essentially OD'ing on oxytocin, as is baby. That's the love hormone
doing its job. Baby will hopefully find her/his way to a nipple and
begin suckling. When the nipples are stimulated, oxytocin is released
from the posterior pituitary gland, contracting the tiny myoepithelial
cells inside the milk ducts, forcing milk out of the breast and into
baby's mouth. That oxytocin release is still doing it's job "down
there," helping mama's uterus to clamp down post-delivery, thus reducing
risk of excessive postpartum bleeding.

I mention the connection
to breastfeeding because oxytocin is also released with nipple
stimulation. Women who enjoy nipple stimulation during sex may enjoy it
for a number of reasons, but physiologically it's because that burst of
oxytocin contracts the uterus (which essentially puts interior pressure
on the clitoris and, well, you get it). In other words, if you enjoy
nipple stimulation, include that in your labor-inducing sex practice.
Otherwise you can just turn on your breast pump when you're finished,
and you will probably get many of the same benefits.

If a woman is having sex with a man, he may play a labor-inducing role as well. Semen contains prostaglandins,
autocrine hormones that help to soften ("ripen") the cervix. A softer
cervix makes the fertilization/implantation process more likely, but
these hormones work the same when a woman is already pregnant. The low
dose of prostaglandins in semen alone aren't likely to induce labor in a
woman who's not yet term (which is why care providers don't warn
against sex during pregnancy unless a woman is at risk for preterm
labor), but the mild softening in a term mama might just be enough to
tip her into labor mode. As an added bonus, his penis hitting against
the cervix may indeed induce some mild (but not earth-shattering)
uterine contractions.

Captain Obvious moment: I generally don't
recommend the prostaglandin method if a mama is in a relationship where
she's at risk for a sexually transmitted infection. The last thing she
needs is to be infected with an STI right before a baby comes through
her vagina! If infection is a concern, sex with a condom still contains
the benefits of oxytocin and cervical pressure. Masturbation is a safe
and effective alternative for women who don't have a partner (or just
simply don't want to engage in partner sex). Again, oxytocin is
stronger than prostaglandins!

So yes, good sex can in fact induce
labor. In other words, if you're trying to get labor started, just get
yer freak on. Doula's orders.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Welcome to Spiraling Outwards, a venue where I can share birthy news and research while adding some commentary and "doula slant".

I almost didn't start a blog at all. It's tricky business for us doulas. Most of us tow the line between being non-judgmental and highly opinionated on an almost daily basis. We want to be able to present information without a whole lot of bias, giving our clients factual information to help them make decisions that are going to work for them, not us. But given the long, drawn-out rants I've been attaching to reposts on my Facebook page as of late, I decided to just go ahead and attach my business name to a blog.

I have another personal blog, and I also write for RH Reality Check and other related reproductive health news and commentary sites. However, those tend to deal with reproductive health issues that don't always have to do with childbirth and breastfeeding, though I may cross-post some of those here. I am a very political person in my "non-doula" life, and while that's just an inherent part of who I am, I try to keep things more or less apolitical in the birthing room; this goes back to my desire to be the doula for every kind of person, regardless of background, religious belief, political affiliation, etc. So don't expect things to get terribly "polarizing" here.

Comments are more than welcome, as is sharing any content in full or part (with proper credit, of course). All I ask is that people remain respectful. Comments containing hate speech or oppressive language will be promptly deleted (if you don't know the difference between non-oppressive language and just plain "political correctness", a brief primer is available here). I may also remove comments that cite bunk research... sorry, but that's just a big pet peeve.
So that's about it. Welcome to Spiraling Outwards!!